Electrical service-timing meter



May 11 1926. 1,584,414.

J. WHALEN ELECTRICAL SERVICE TIMING METER Filed Sept. 50, 1922 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Elwvwwtoz JAMS VVZMLEN.

May 11 1926.

J. WHALE N ELECTRICAL SERVICE TIMING METER 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Sept. 50, 1922 anoe/wlioz JqMEs Wz mzzzv.

Patented May 11, 1926.

JAMES WHALEN, OF OMAHA, NEBRASKA.

ELECTRICAL SERVICE-TIMING MET-ER.

Application filed September 30, 1922. Serial No. 591,656.

My invention relates to electrical-service measuring instruments and it is the object thereof to provide a coin-controlled device for timing electrical service, whereby a B'motor or other electrical energy-consuming apparatus may be operated for a predetermined time by current passing through the meter, the supply of electrical energy being available after the deposit of a su1table coin, and being automatically discontinued after the supply has been used for the established time. More particular objects of my invention are to provide in a device of the class indicated a compound switch mechanism havin a circuit-closing element controlled direct y by the deposit of a coin, a second circuit-closing element which becomes operative after a shortduration of the movement initiated by the coincontrolled device, and a third circuit-closing or shunting device which comes into action near the end of the operation period and which serves to open the circuit at the end of said period. Further objects of my invention relate to structural details for attaining simplicity and inexpensiveness of constructiomdurability of the working parts,

safety of operation, and security a ainst fraudulent tampering and the like, an will be more fully set forth hereinafter.

A structure embodying my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a plan view of the operating mechanism, removed fromthe casing, Fig.

5 2 is a front view with the door of the casing removed, certain portions being in section, Fig. 3 is a, detail yertical section through the coin-controlling device on the line 3--3 of Fig. 1, Fig. 4 is a detail vertical section of the circuit-breaker brush-holder, Fig. 5 is a detail section of the stop-lever on the plane ofthe line 5-5 of Fig. 3, Fig. 6 is a horizontal section of the same on the line 66 of Fig. 5, Fig. 7 is a diagram of the 'electrical-connections, and Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the casing. r

In the illustrated structure *I'provide a metal casing 8 having at one side a removable cover or door 9 with a suitable lock 10 by which the casing is secured against unauthorized 0 ening. At the ends of the easing are open n'glsllned with insulatin bush ings 11, throng which the wires of t e feed and output circuits are extended into and out of the inclosure. I At one end the casing has a small transparent window- 12 through which the dials and hands of the register device may observed. In the top of the easing there'is a coin-slot 13, and adjoining said slot there is a hinged flap or cover 14 which m normally covers the slot and which may be raised as shown in Fi 2 when a coin is to be inserted in the ot. Channel-shaped guides 15 are secured on the inside of the casing near the bottom at the ends thereof, 05 said guides being adapted to receive slidably the ends of the insulating base16 on which the operating mechanism is mounted, said base and the parts thereon being removable from the casing through the open side thereof when the door or cover 9 is unlocked and opened.

Upon the base 16 near one end thereof is mounted a smaller motor 17. of which the armature-shaft carries at one end a worm 76 18. Said worm'meshes operatively with a worm-wheel 19 carried on a transverse shaft 20, said shaft being journaled in bearingposts 21 extended up from the base. A worm 22 on the shaft 20 meshes with a worm-wheel 23 on a shaft 24 which is jour'naled in bearing-posts 25 similar to the posts 21. A' worm 26- on the shaft 24 meshes with a worm-wheel 27 on a second transverse shaft 28, the latter being mounted on bearing-posts 29. On the intermediate portion-of the shaft 28 is a small miter-gear 30 which meshes with a similar gear 31 carried on the drive-shaft 32 of the register device. The latter comprises a gear-train having pinions. 33 and Do gears 34 mounted on arbors 35 which extend through a dial-plate 36 and carry indicating hands 37 of-which the positions relative to the dials show the travel of the gears, the device as a whole being adapted to show the number of revolutions of the shaft 28. The speed-reducing gear-train consisting of the worms .18, 22 and26, and the worm-wheels 19, 23 and 27, is so proportioned to the speed of the motor 17 that the shaft 28 will make one revolution in a definite period of time, such as oneor two hours or more, according to the requirements of the service for which the meter is to be used. f

At the front end of the shaft .28 there is secured the time-wheel, comprising a central hub-member 38,. a pair of contact-segments 40 and an annular member 39 of non-conducting materialwhich serves to insulate the l contact-segments from the hub-member. On

the front side of the hub member 38 is secured the stop-lever-cam 41 which comprises which the time-wheel is rotated. On the base 16 below the time-wheel there is mounted a pair of brush-holders 42, the same being electrically connected with the adja-. cent binding-posts 44 and 45. Brushes 43 and 46 disposed in said holders are pressed yieldingly against the contact-segments 40. Athir'd bmsh, 47, is also adapted for engzgement with the segments 40, said brush ing pivoted in a holder 48 which is secured at the end of a spring-arm 49 extending above the timewheel. A small coil spring 50 is seated in a recess in the brush, and presses against the holder 48 so as to tilt the opposite end of the brush upwardly, as indicated in Fig. 4. The spring-arm 49 is attached by means of a bolt 51 to a member 52 which is extended laterally" and rearwardly from the upper portion of the stoplever, the arm being insulated from said member 52 by suitable non-conducting material 53. The stop-lever comprises a plate-portion 54 which extends downwardly from the member 52 and normally lies against the end of the coin-chute as shown in Fig. 3, and a blade-portion 55 which extends between the front and rear side-plates of the coin-chute, being pivoted thereto by means of a screw 56 passing through the up; per part thereof. In the portion 54 which extends above the pivot-screw 56 there is an opening through which is extended tile end of the guide-rod 57, the opposite end of said rod being securedto a bracket 58 on the upper side of the coin-chute. Acoil-s ring 59 is disposed around the guide-rod an presses a slidable collar 60 against the stop-lever to yieldingly retain the same in the normal position shown in Fig, 3. The rear part of the plate-portion 54 of the stop-lever lies in the path of the cam 41 and is providedwith a hard steel facing-strip .61 which terminates at the offset or shoulder 62, as shown in' Fig. 5. The edge of the blade-portion 55 from the intermediate to the lower part thereof is also provided with a hard steel facing-strip 63, and at the upper part of said blade-portion 55 there is a pin or finger 64 which extends diagonally upward into the coin-passage, as best shown in Fig. 3..

The coin-chute is mounted upon a supporting standard 65, and comprises a back-plate 66- and front-plate 67 which are of similar form except that the front-plate has a series of' openings 68 therein,the main portion of said plates extending diagonally and being connected at their upper and lower .edges by strips 69, whereby to form a substantially rectangular tube of which the internal di-' mensions are such as to allow a coin of the required denomination to pass freely through the same. The upper end of the chute is turned upwardly and terminates beneath the slot 13 of the casing, so that a coin dropped throughsaid slot will enter the'chute and roll down the inclined portion thereof. At the lower end of the inclined portion the edge-strips 69 terminate, while the sideplates have downwardly extended vertical portions, the stop-lever-blade 55 working between said vertical portions at one side, and the end of the coin-lever 70 working between the same at the other side. The coin-lever comprises a rod having a slightly upturned end-portion adjoining the coin-chute, the intermediate portion of said rod extending through the hub of the switch-arm 71 and being insulated therefrom by a suitable "non conducting bushing, and the opposite end of the rod carrying an adjustable counterpoise or weight 72. The switch-arm 71 is mounted pivotally between a pair of stand,

ing a wire thereto. The weight 72 keeps theopposite end of the coin-lever normally in the raised position shown in Fig. 2, or so that the same rests against the end of thelower edge-strip 69 of the coin-chute, and when the lever is in this normal position the arm 71 is held out of engagement with the contact 74.

At one end of the base 16 there is-mounted a pair of binding-posts 78 and 79, for convenience in connecting the terminals 80 and 181 of the feed or supply circuit. From thebindin -post 78 a conductor 82 is connected with t e motor 17, and a conductor 83 is extended to a binding-post 84 mounted on the rear portion of the base 16. The binding-post 84 and a similar post 85. are used for the attachment of the terminals 86 of the output or Working circuit extendin to a motor M or other energy-consuming evice which is to be controlled by the instrument.

From the binding-post 79 a conductor 87 is extended to the binding-post -7 6,. and from the latter a conductor 88 extends to the binding-' 0st 45. From the binding-post 44 a con uctor 90 is extended to the spring-arm 49 which'carries the brush 47, and a conductor 91 is extended to the binding- 0st 85. A con-' ductor 92 eonnects the swltc -arm 71 with the motor 17 and a conductor 93 connects the same with the bindin -post 85. Refer-. ring to Fig. 7, wherein it e described electrical connections are indicated diagrammatically, it will be seen that working device are connected in parallel; that the switch such as shownin Fig. 3, at which each of the or circuit-closer formed by the arm 71 and contact 74 is in parallel with the main controller or circuit-closer formed by the timewheel-segments 40 and the brushes 43 and 46 and that the brushes 43 and 47 are also connected in parallel.

In the normal or quiescent position of the mechanism the time-wheel is in a position segments 40 is engaged with only one of the brushes 43 and 46; the stop-lever is also in the position shown in said Fig. 3, so that the brush 47 is not engaged with the segments 40; and the coin-lever is in the raised position shown in Fi 2, so that the switch formed by the arm%1 and contact 74 is open.

When the parts are in said positions, a suitable coin X dropped into the slot 13 will roll down the coin-chute until it engages the coin-lever and depresses the same as re resented in Fig. 3, from which it will Be noted that the coin rests against the facingstrip 63 of the stop-lever-blade, the assa e between said facing-stri and the en of t e lever 70 being smaller t an the diameter of the coin. The depression of the coin lever 70 causes the arm 71 to engage the contact 74 and thus closes the working-circuit, thereby starting the operation of the timing-motor 17 and making available to the user the motor M or like device which is connected with the output terminals 86. The operation of the timing-motor causes a slow rotation of the time-wheel carrying the segments 40 and the stop-lever-cam 41, and after said wheel has been in motion for a short time the osition of the segments 40 will be such that one of the same will be in contact with both of the brushes 43 and 46, thereby forming a second path of closure of the working-circuit, or a shunt for the coin-controlled switch formed by the arm 71 and contact 74. Subsequent to the closing of the workingscircuit by the main controller or circuit-closer com prising the brushes 43 and 46 and the segment 40, the cam 41 engages the facin late 61 on the stop-lever and pushes said ever outwardly to a position such as that shown in Fig. 2. This movement of the stop-lever releases thecoin X which drops into a suitable box or receptacle 94 disposed beneath the coin-chute in a recess at the front of the base 16, the receptacle being indicated in Fig. 1 but omitted from Fig. 2. The releasing of the coin X allows the coin-lever to return to its normal raised osition and opens the switch 71--74. At t e same time the movement of the stop-lever about its ivot 56 causes the brush 47 to be pressed own against the segments 40 of the time-wheel. A shunt-circuit is thus formed through said brush 47, theholder 48, spring-arm 49 and time being released or -.comprising nected therein,

conductor 90, and said circuit remains closed after the time-wheel has rotated to a position at which the segment 40 engaged by the brush 46 has passed out of contact with the brush 43, the positions of the parts then be ing as indicatedin Fig. 2. Finally, when the point of the cam 41 passes the shoulder 62 at the lower end of the facing-strip 61, the stop-lever is suddenly released, so that the pressure of the spring 59 may rapidly return the same to its normal position. By said movement of the stop-lever the brush 47 is moved quickly out of engagementwith the segment 40, to effect the opening of the working-circuit without arcing.

When the stop-leveris moved by the cam 41 to release the coin, the parts belng in the position shown in Fig. 2 if another coin X" i be dropped into the .chute it will be prevented from passing through the same by the finger 64, which serves as an escapement device to prevent more than one coin at a the rece tacle 94. W en the drop-lever is returnec to its normal position, said finger 64 is raised to a position such that the coin may pass beneath the same at the position X indicated by the dotted circle in Fig. 3.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that my invention provides a sim 1e and re liable means for furnishing electrical service for a definite time in consideration ofa coin ermitted to drop into deposited therein, but independently of the amount of electrical ener sumed by the working evice M connected with the meter. If a manually controlled switch .be installed at the input side of the meter, the service measured maybe intermittent or discontinuous, since the timingmotor 17 willbe operated only during'the continuance of the supply. If a manual] controlled switch be installed between t e meter and the working, device M, the service will be available only for the established time, regardless of whether or not the working device M is operated during all or only a portion of such time, since the timingmotor will run continuously until the working-circuit is opened by the operation of the circuit-breaker controlled by the time-wheel.

Now, having described my invention, what that may be con- I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patout is: v

L'An instrument of the class described, a timing-motor, a slow-moving rotary switch-member actuated by said motor, a cam carried by said switch-member, a working-circuit havin the timing motor cona com-actuated switch for closing said working-circuit, a movable brush adapted to engage the rotary switch-member to close the working-circuit, supporting means for said brushactuatable by said cam to move the brush to circuit-closing posi- I tion, and means for rapidly actuating said member driven by said motor, insulated con- .tact-se ents carried on said member, a pair of brus ies arranged to constantly engage said contact segments and connected to close the working-circuit when both brushes, engage the same segment, a third brush movable into and out of engagement with the segments and connecte in parallel with one of said pair of brushes, the movable brush out of engagement with the segments, and a cam carried by the rotary member and adapted to periodically press the third brush against the segments to maintain the workin -circuit while the pair of brushes engage difiere'nt contact-segments, and then to suddenly release sald movable brush and enable movement thereof to circuit-opening position.

3. In an instrument of the class described, a working-circuit, a main circuit-closing means therefor, com-actuated circuit-closing means connected in parallel with said main circuit-closing means, a shunt device for the movable t closing position when eng means tending to holdv main circuit-closing means operable to maintain the working' mrcuit when said main circuit-closing means is in open position, a t1m ing-member controlling said main circuitclosing means and said shunt device, means for ra idly actuating the shunt device to open t e working-circuit, coin-controlling means actuated by said timing-member, and a motor controlled by the working-circuit and actuating said timing-member.

4. In an instrument of the class described,

a coin-chute, a circuit-closing device having a member extending into said chute and aged by a coin t erein, a stop-lever for retaining a coin in engagementwith said circuit-closer,

stop-lever to re a rotary timin '-member for actuating said' V ease a coin retained thereby,

a second circuit-closing means -;movable by a the timing-member to closing position p'rio'r to the coin-releasing movement of 'thestoplever, a third circuit-closing means actuated to closing osition by the coin-releasing movement 0 the stop-lever, means for moving the thirdcircuit-closing means to open position after the second means is in 0 en position, and a working-circuitcontrolle by said circuit-closing means.

JANEES WHALEN. 

